Love Run
by celtics534
Summary: Harry had just wanted to complete the Valentine's Day Race for a Cure in record time, but now he's stuck in a collapsed tunnel with no food or water. And if that cough is any indication, he isn't alone.


**A Muggle AU. Our dynamic duo has never met before. This is a response to the Hinny Valentine's Day contest over on Tumblr! The Valentine's Day theme is super light in this story, but hey, our couple doesn't need a day to tell them when to be romantic!** **I would like to thank T** **heDistantDusk for looking over the grammatical** **errors.**

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 _Breathe_! Harry's brain reminded him. He needed oxygen.

It was like a knife went through his lungs as he complied. _Jesus, what the fuck happened?_ Harry took another breath, creating that stab of pain again.

 _Okay_ , Harry told himself, _I have air, so next I need to_ see.. _._

His eyelids fought his command, remaining shut. Or were they? He forced himself to blink. Nothing changed. No matter what he did, everything stayed pitch black. Wait...no there was a small light! A very small amount yellow light, but it was there!

He couldn't see anything around him. That small light source only helped enough so that the darkness didn't swallow him completely.

A wheezing cough came from a short distance away, maybe three meters by Harry's estimate.

"Hello?" Harry forced the words, the stabbing sensation lessing with each breath.

"Hello?" A voice responded. Harry couldn't see, but if he had to guess, he'd say it was feminine.

"Who are you? What happened?" Harry decided to follow his old professor's instructions. Start with two of the important W's: Who and what.

"I - I don't really know." The (again he assumed) woman let out another cough. "I was running in the Valentine's Day Race for a Cure and then." She paused, seeming to collect her thoughts. "I think I was in Greenwich Tunnel…"

"Yeah." Harry racked his brain, as he sat up. "Yeah me too, then there was that loud noise."

"Do you think?" Harry's companion had a slight quiver in her voice. "Could there have been an explosion?"

"I don't know." Harry didn't want to think about it. The idea that someone may have bombed… It was a friendly race to raise money for cancer for fuck's sake! Why would someone want to.., _Right._ Harry's mind started thinking practically, applying all he had learned at the police academy and his few years on the beat. Fear was a baddie's best friend.

Harry took another sharp, slightly painful breath. "You never told me your name."

"Ginny. What's yours?"

"Harry. Listen, Ginny, we just need to remain calm. Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm fine, just something tickling my throat." She coughed again as if to prove her point. "What about you?"

Harry slowly moved his limbs. He started low and made his way to his head. Nothing seemed out of place or crushed. "I still have all eight fingers and nine and a half toes."

To Harry's amusement, Ginny snorted at his pitiful joke. "I have an idea." The sound of rustling was the only noise; without it the silence would have been deafening.

Then a small beam of light came into life. "My phone was in that little hidden pocket of my joggers." Ginny moved the phone around as she examined the collapsed walls. Harry saw what looked like rocks, a lot of rocks, that had barricaded them in a small cove.

"Holy fuck," Ginny whispered. "We were saved by that." She directed the beam to the left corner of their confines. A part of the ceiling had aligned perfectly with the wall, creating a slope that stopped the rest of a small area from filling in.

Harry let out a long breath through his nose. " _Holy fuck_ is right."

It took them a count of four before they broke out in laughter. Nothing was funny about their situation, but Jesus it was better to laugh than cry.

Ginny broke off into a violent cough, which stopped Harry's hysteria altogether. "Ginny?"

"I'm fine," she said, through the cough. Ginny cleared her throat. " _I'm fine_." The beam bounced off the walls again, then hit him. "I'm going to move over towards you."

The white light moved closer until he could see the faint outline of a very pretty face. He couldn't make out any defining features, but he even with so little proof he could tell his new companion was beautiful.

Ginny sat next to him and placed the phone face-down on the ground, making the light beam shoot straight at the ceiling. Now he could make out a pair of soft lips and a cute little nose.

"So, Harry." Ginny used a casual tone. "Come here often?"

Harry couldn't help but snort. "Oh yeah, this is my favorite snog spot. All the ladies love it when I bring them here."

"Well, count me with the wooed." Ginny let out a light laugh.

They sat in silence for a moment, no noise anywhere.

"So, this is the weirdest Valentine's Day date I've ever been on." Ginny looked around the room as one might when entering a fancy hotel lobby. "The decor is pretty rocky."

Harry barked out a laugh. "Oh this is going to be a long drawn out death if you're making puns the whole time."

"Do you think they'll find us?" Ginny asked, that slight tremor back again.

Harry had no idea what made him become so bold. Typically with women he had little to no courage, unable to make any sort of first move, but he scooted over slightly and pulled Ginny into a one-arm hug.

"They know the course. Someone will have already discovered the blockage… We're going to be fine."

Ginny took one deep breath, than another. "You're right. Hopefully it's not too bad. Thanks." She turned her head and kissed him on the cheek. "So what we need is a distraction. Ever played Never Have I Ever?"

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"Never have I ever had sex in the back of a car." Harry wanted to wriggle his eyebrows, but because they had turned off the phone (to conserve energy, just in case) it would have made no difference. They sat shoulder to shoulder, backs against one of the walls. They had been asking questions for more time than Harry wanted to admit… or maybe it was less time than he thought. He had no way of defining how long they had been in their small cove, but he knew they had asked at least fifty questions.

Oddly, however, Harry hadn't lost any interest in finding out about his fellow cave-in-victim. The never-have-I-evers had started off simple and had become much more _personal_. He loved coming up with a question that would lead to a story. Which then, in turn, gave him information about Ginny he didn't know he wanted, but now craved more of.

"Oh, let me tell you," Ginny started to laugh. "You don't want to. The cramp I had in my thigh…"

Harry joined her in laughing, the sound seeming to engulf them in the tight space.

"Aright if we're going for the hard shit…" Ginny's hand brushed against his. A small flutter of butterflies erupted in Harry's gut. "Never have I ever been caught shagging?"

If it was possible, the heat that rose to Harry's cheeks would have illuminated the cave. "Once."

"Oh!" Ginny shifted her breath now close enough he could feel it on the side of his neck. "Do tell!"

"It was my roommate who… discovered us." Harry wished he could see her face. He would like to know if her eyes showed her excitement at such a juicy story. Maybe her eyes would be so focused on his that they would act as a laser and burn him. Harry just had a desire to know everything about this woman.

"She -"

"She?" Ginny interrupted.

"Yeah, Hermione is my childhood best friend. We go way back, so when she went to uni and I went to the academy it only made sense to get a flat together. Anyway, she was freaking out over finals, and the way she expresses stress is by going over every practice test question possible. I have… other methods."

Ginny snorted, but remained silent.

"Yeah, so she walked into my room, question already halfway out of her mouth. 'Harry, do you remember what happened on page-'. She got an eye full that day."

"Jesus, have you looked her in the eye since?"

"Yeah it only took a year."

She chuckled, making him feel light as air.

"Okay, Weasley, never have I ever broken the law."

"Besides the public sex?"

"Besides the public sex."

"Huh." Ginny thought about it for a moment. "Once, I did steal something from a Tescos."

" _Tisk, tisk,_ Ginny. You are admitting your sticky fingers to an officer of the law."

"Feel free to shackle me, Potter. It happened over ten years ago."

Harry hoped he heard a slightly flirtish tone. He forced his voice to remain level. "Oh, and why did you rob this innocent vender?"

"My twin brothers dared me." Her matter of fact tone, left no argument that Ginny Weasley would not fail at a dare.

"Whatcha steal?"

"A little chocolate coin. Literally worth a penny."

"You fiend!"

There she went again, making that musical sound. Her laugh was infectious, like a birds song.

"Ready for this one, Potter? Never have I ever cheated on somebody."

"Weasley, I'm a loyal man. Though." Harry's fingers twitched on their own accord. "I have been cheated on."

"No!" Ginny sounded aghast. "Who was the fucking bitch?"

"Same girl Hermione walked in on."

Harry jumped slightly when Ginny's cool hand rested atop his. "What did you do?"

"What could I do?" Harry scoffed. "I broke it off. I couldn't be with someone who let me down like that… I haven't really been with someone truly since. Maybe I just wasn't enough." The last part was more to himself then her.

The silence that Harry had thought he'd adjusted to seemed to stand out more than ever.

"Oh, cutie." Ginny placed her head on his shoulder. "No, it wasn't you. I may have only just met you, but it wasn't you."

Oddly enough, Harry believed her. Hermione had said the same thing at the time of (what Harry called) the incident. When Hermione had said it, Harry had pretended to agree, but really he'd gone over all the ways he had messed it up- maybe through. focusing on work or spending time with his mates instead of his girlfriend . But when _Ginny_ said it...but why was it he believed Ginny so easily?

"Thanks, Gin." Harry kissed the top of her head, inhaling a flower scent. _Her shampoo is intoxicating._

"Look at us," Ginny laughed lightly, and slightly awkwardly. "We just met and we have gotten _really_ personal. I might as well ask you how many kids you want and if you've ever been given an STD."

Harry choked on his own spit. He spluttered for a moment while Ginny's laugh became maniacal.

"At least two, and no. I have a clean bill of health. Thank you very much!."

Ginny snorted at Harry's answer. "You know, I'm not happy to be trapped in a collapsed tunnel...but I'm at least glad you're here, Harry."

"I get you, Ginny."

Ginny nodded. "I think you really do. You know, I only decided to run in this race so I wouldn't have to face the fact I was alone." Her voice had taken on a softer quality, like someone talking in a hospital. "I've been single for over a year and I was so fucking _tired_ of being alone. I hate going out and dealing with all those… those fuck boys."

"That's right," Ginny talked over Harry's snort. "I said fuck boys. Anyways, I figured: 'hey why not do something that will help you get in shape and give money to a good cause?' And now, here I am."

"For what it's worth, and as weird as it is to say…" Harry shifted so Ginny's body was tucked nicely into his. His arm rested on her waist. "I'm really glad to have been trapped in here with you. Otherwise… I doubt I ever would have had the courage to talk to you normally."

Fingers threaded through Harry's naturally messy locks as warm breath tickled his nose. Ginny's body had moved so she was in front of him.

"Here's the thing, Harry." A hand cupped his chin. "Between the little I've seen of you and how much I like your voice… If I'd seen you in some coffee shop, I would have made the first move. Just like now."

Her lips were slightly chapped from talking and the lack of water. Harry placed his hands on her hips, wanting their bodies to be a close as possible. Harry had no idea how long he spent kissing Ginny. Time was insignificant in the darkness, especially when her lips were on his.

Ginny pulled away, taking his bottom lip with her. He didn't want to stop.

She pressed her mouth to his one final time before laying down on the ground. She took his hand and he copied her, resting his tired body on the rough, cold floor.

"How long do you think we've been here?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know, but I'd guess couple of hours." Harry rested his nose in her hair. No matter how many times he did it, he couldn't get over how good she smelled. "Maybe two… We did start our game with some simple question before advancing to car sex."

"And how much more oxygen do you think we have?"

Harry twisted his neck to face (but not see) her. The thought had crossed his mind before, but he was fairly certain that the small light source he had noticed before was evidence of outer life. Evidence of oxygen.

"Enough." He kissed her cheek. "We're going to get out of this and then you and I are going to go on a Valentine's Day date- it'll be one of those cheesy ones where we get a picture of us kissing. And of course we'll sleep together before the third date."

"My, you have some confidence." Ginny laughed and connected her lips to his. "You're right. We just need to stay positive, but Jesus! This is fucking terrifying."

"I know." Harry had been fighting down fear the entire time. If he had been trapped alone, he would have gone insane, but Ginny kept him centered. Odd to think that an almost-stranger had kept him level… Well, to be fair, he now knew quite a bit about Ginny Weasley. She wasn't a stranger anymore.

"Tell me something you've never told anyone, Gin." Harry rubbed the back of Ginny's hand with his thumb.

"I know what you're doing, Harry." If he could have seen her, Harry would have been graced with a grateful smile from his companion. "Hmm. Well. Okay. How about… I once wrote a poem for a boy at school and sent it to him in a card."

"Oh, I'm talking with an artist, huh?"

"That's offensive to artists everywhere." Ginny chuckled. "No, it was horrible."

"If I begged, would you write me a poem?"

He laughed as she snorted and brought their joined hands to his lips.

"Harry." Ginny's voice had taken that soft tone again. "Thank you."

"You can thank me with a poem. You could mention my sexy black hair and glorious green eyes."

Ginny remained silent for a moment before crooning in an over-the-top tone, "His eyes are as green as a toad. His hair as dark as a blackboard -"

"I now understand what you meant by offensive to artists." Harry sat up slightly, leaning on his elbow. "You're just too good! Move over, Robert Frost."

Ginny laughed and her mouth suddenly hovered over his. "Flattery gets you everywhere, Potter."

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It was the sound of drills that made Harry stir. He didn't know when he had fallen asleep, but between how tired he'd felt and Ginny's warmth beside him, sleep had come all too easily.

He sat up. "Ginny." He shook the sleeping girl beside him. "Ginny."

"Uh." Ginny's voice was rough, like she had swallowed sand. "Huh?"

"I think they've found us!"

Ginny jumped to her feet and went over to the little hole of light. "Hello!" she screamed. The drill stopped.

"Hello!" A man's voice called back. "I'm halfway through. Keep clear and we'll have you out of there in no time. What's your name?"

"My name is Ginny, and Harry is in here with me."

"Okay, Ginny, you and Harry stay as far as you can from this wall. If something starts to collapse in there, call to me. My name is Moody."

They did as they were told, standing with their backs against the opposite wall from the drill. Overall it took around thirty minutes for a gap to open in the wall. A gruff and beaten face looked in on them.

"Hey." Moody clearly wasn't much of a talker. He went back to work, moving some of the rubble by hand. Harry and Ginny went over and helped, opening the gap wide enough for them to exit.

Harry helped Ginny first. The other side was full of people. Officers, fire brigade, a couple of doctors. They were guided up to the surface by a uniformed officer and a doctor. They were told to sit on the ground while the doctor checked them over.

"You two were extremely lucky. No crush injuries and little lung damage." Doctor Holmes told Harry to inhale again. "You won't even need to go to the hospital, but I do advise to be weary over the next few days. If anything seems off, go to your physician."

When both Harry and Ginny had been given clean bill of health (after drinking a bottle of water each), they were guided outside of the taped off area. They stood together, people bustling around them, others watching the working crews with fascination.

Harry couldn't take his eyes off Ginny. He had been right about her in the cave. She was incredibly beautiful. The little of her he had seen in dark had intrigued him, but now in the setting sun… Harry was hypnotized.

"Well, I don't know about you, but after that, I'm hungry." Ginny wrapped her arms around Harry's neck, rocking them ever-so-slightly. "Care to start that cheesy Valentine's Day date with dinner?"

Harry pressed his lips to hers. "Just try and stop me."


End file.
